For economy and ease of erection metal frames have been utilised in the construction of walls for buildings and incorporate principally a pair of spaced channelled wall plates and a plurality of channelled bridging studs interlocking with the plates. An example of such a construction is the subject matter of Australian Patent Application No. 51891/86 and Australian Patent No. 421805. In both instances the studs are generally "C-shaped", in cross-section, with small return flanges and have slots at opposite ends of each stud for locking with respective ones of the wall plates. Each of the wall plates is generally "U-shaped" with inwardly projecting lugs at the open ends of the arms. In the case of Patent 421805 lead-in chamfers are provided at the ends of the studs over which the lugs ride for engagement within the slots in the studs, in erection of a frame. In the case of Application 51891/86 erection is achieved by seating a stud within the channel of a plate and twisting the stud about its axis for engagement with securing lugs. In view of manufacturing tolerances in the construction of both plates and studs, the rigidity of an erected wall frame sometimes suffers. Additionally it has been found that this form of connection lacks sufficient strength to withstand a separation force imposed on the frame under cyclonic conditions, without additional bracing.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,680,271 describes a wall frame structure having a bottom wall plate which engages a wall stud. Both the wall plate and stud are formed of rolled steel. The wall plate has lugs which snap engage within recesses formed in the stud in order to retain the stud in position. However this particular arrangement has the disadvantage that the stud can be removed from the wall plate under stress, that is the longitudinally extending sides of the stud can become disconnected from the longitudinally extending sides of the wall plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,854,439 discloses a building frame including vertically extending stud members joined by strips acting as noggings. There is no consideration given to anchoring the vertical studs with a wall plate. Australian Patent 579216 describes a metal stud which engages with a bottom wall plate. The stud is provided with apertures through which lugs protrude to anchor the stud in position. However, the side flanges of the stud can become easily deflected from engagement with the longitudinally extending sides of the wall plate, when stressed.
The above discussed prior art all suffer from the disadvantage that no means is provided to ensure that the sides of the stud do not become deflected from the longitudinally extending sides of the wall plate when stressed.